I would really just like a family sized electric car that can do a real-world 200 miles
I've been reading threads about the Bolt, not that I am interested to have one, but I am interested in what foibles a first-release long range EV has.
Lets say that Bolt and M3 can do 250 Wh/mile and MS is 350 (given a warm spring day ...). That's equivalent to a difference of 50 MPG and 70MPG ... which is not particularly great for comparison of frugal hatchback and big heavy gas guzzler, Petrol cars have far greater difference between Top and Bottom of the list ... so in Energy Use terms there isn't, currently, much difference between performance and economy. Plus Electricity is a quarter of the price of Petrol ... so it makes Performance more affordable (if that's on your list)
I'm also interested in how fast they charge. Of course plug in at home and so long as it is capable of recharging overnight you've perhaps not got much to worry about. But the fast charging of Bolt seems to be disappointing. Not only have there been capital-cost savings in the onboard charger (resulting in slower max-rate of charge), it seems that the battery charge tapers off quite early and significantly, meaning that a road-trip charge is a painful experience (even assuming that a suitable high speed "pump" can be found, which of course is a problem Tesla has already solved for most journeys). If you will never drive out-of-range that's a non-issue.
Most of my Supercharger visits have been "just enough to complete journey", so usually 5 or 10 minutes (i.e. 25 - 50 miles), which is a bit different to a road-trip across the USA or down to the South of France of course, but I suspect typical of UK journeys (e.g. London to York would be a 10 minute splash-and-dash for me on top of 3 hours driving - just enough time for a Pee and getting a Coffee and, of course, a sensible break in the middle of my journey)
Next up for me would be battery degradation. Tesla seems to handle this extremely well with their battery management heating / cooling. Leaf seems to be atrocious, even in the current version, dramatically reducing battery range after a few years ... I'm surprised that Leaf has not addressed both Range and Degradation more significantly in the current model.
The boot on the M3, and lack of a Hatchback (until Model-Y comes along ...) may be the most major turnoff for Tesla owners in the short term. Bjorn has some recent YouTubes of M3 from his recent visit to USA where he test drove You You Xue's vehicle (You You Xue is bringing his M3 to UK in March if you want to see one close-up) and the boot seemed plenty big enough, it has a cavity under the "floor", so that's probably just a question of "access" for tall cargo (compared to hatchback).
Personally I think the tech lead that Tesla have makes it a safer purchase, albeit that the company is small and getting a service centre appointment can involve a significant wait, and replacement panels for accident damage take too long too (I don't know about the other makes, if they are small volume manufacturing they may have supply problems too? but their nationwide network of service centres should at least offset part of the Tesla-service-congestion problem).
I like the OTA updates on the Tesla (not withstanding that there have been changes that I don't like, and specifically are contrary to the reason I bought the car, which is annoying) as in addition to niggle-fixes they have added several features and improvements to the car in the time of my ownership. In all the years I owned VWs they never once offered me a SatNav map update, even for Real Money ... in Tesla they now arrive several times a year ...
I like the remote API access too. Its partly gimmick, but actually I use most of it at some point or other, and some of it all the time. I never thought I would need remote "Toot the horn" until I parked in a huge feature-less field at Hendon and then needed to find my car. Phone APP provides walk-to-car map, so that helped, and when I got close I did indeed do "toot horn" - which made some other people walking through the car park jump! But using APP to schedule car climate each morning before I leave for work, and on return home in the evening (depending on location where the car is parked, and whether its plugged in or not) is one of those things, like Electric Windows and Central Locking, that I never knew I needed until the first car I owned that had it
- no need to scrape the ice off in the morning, or sit shivering for the first few miles ... and when I get up from my table at a restaurant etc. I can put the climate on, from my phone, so its ready by the time I get to the car. Very nice to have.
I also have a data-logging APP which records all my journeys. Partly that's the Geek in me, but also handy for business mileage and the like.
One of the biggest joys of Tesla is Autopilot. I have a 5 mile drive to dual carriageway, and most of my journeys are therefore predominantly dual carriageway. I have a common journey that I drive leaving at 9:30 PM and arriving home at 11PM. In the past with ICE I was always fighting sleep for the last few miles of dual carriageway, that hasn't happened once in 18 months use of AP. Similarly a daytime drive from Cambridge to Bristol, and sometimes back in the same day. I arrive far more refreshed than I used to. Brilliant for just cruise along motorway, and also for bumper-to-bumper traffic. So if that's matches your frequent driving conditions I would strongly recommend that. It needs TACC that can come to a complete standstill and set off again (for stop-start traffic) and ability to stay in lane. Doesn't necessarily need self-driving for that of course. I personally don't use AP on single carriageway roads, but when I do (usually to DEMO to someone) everyone is astonished that it will happily drive around a double-bend
so that's definitely the future, but here, and right now
Those features are ones I now want in any future car, and Tesla's lead in EV Tech suggests to me that, until other brands are on Version 2 or 3, I'd be better off not even considering them.
